Miami Dade County take home cars -- I am not a big fan. Random Pixels Blog adds to a Channel 10 report on the 1,210 miles a week and $10,000 in gas it costs taxpayers each year for three Miami-Dade officers to commute to Naples. The report also says that 10 officers use County owned cars to commute daily to Palm Beach County. What about wear on the cars, we pay for that too. This is nuts. And, aren't there any local men out of work for these jobs?
The blogger makes an argument against take home cars like I did on July 18th with County documents.
17 comments:
Just read the story and Gimenez's defense of the abuse. I am going to throw up.
"The blogger makes an argument against take home cars like I did on July 18th with County documents."
Interesting. I wonder if that's where Jeff Weinsier got the idea for his series on "take home cars." There's no way anyone at a TV station came up with that on their own.
I just posted an update giving you credit for breaking this story.
Breaking the story? The TV station came up with a new angle on the take home car issue with new research. I never saw any reference to the 3 officers commuting from Naples before in this blog or any other. I have also been reading about take home cars in the Herald comments section for years and years so don't pretend either of you invented the issue.
Please stop being jealous of each on issues like these and support each other.
who cares who came up with what...the issue is, it is stupid policy.
On i75 during morning rush hour, not only police cars, but FD and County vehicles heading South to Dade. Same story in the afternoon, but heading North to Broward and beyond.
Lynda Bell drives a County-issued, gas-guzzling pick up, her name emblazoned across the side, decked out with an M-DPD two-way police radio.
That's not QRU.
QSK Eddie B! We are waiting for your typical lame "Anonymous" attempt at damage control.
everything is QIU,QSL
This is a great issue for a candidate to use against Gimenez. His comments supporting this policy are outrageous and shameful.
From Channel 10 -
http://www.local10.com/news/29475798/detail.html
The mayor's office said total take-home costs in gas, insurance and maintenance are close to $7 million a year in tax money. Total take-home costs for the cars that go out of Miami-Dade County are $1.4 million in tax money per year.
Miami-Dade police Director James Loftus is proposing a $25 a week fuel surcharge, across the board, for officers with take-home vehicles.
But Mayor Carlos Gimemez said officers who drive out of the county should pay more.
None of them speed, faster than a speeding bullet.
Taking cars home wear them out faster, making turnover of these vehicles another cost factor that does not seem to be calculated. If there was a motor pool, you would need fewer cars also a savings the needs to be calculated to determine the true costs.
As an Officer with a take home car, I do not agree with the out of county policy. How ever I do not have issue with in county usage. I have several times stopped for accidents or crimes in progress while off-duty in my take home car, and helped out until a on-duty officer could respond.
If you all could see how dirty the interior of the pool police vehicles are you would not want to give up that perk either. The majority of the vehicles are roach/ant infested and stink to high heaven. Do I really wanna drive a car when I don't know if the previous cop took the time to get the car properly cleaned after that crack head spit, coughed and sweated all over the rear interior? Do I really want to put people I arrest in that sort of environment.
There are arguments to be made on both sides.
Officer: we all rent cars and stay in motels previously used by pigs. You just have a service that cleans them between shifts like the rental car companies do between renters.
@Anon: Problem then is your now hiring more people even if at min wage.. and having to adjust the officers shifts longer while the cars get cleaned.. $$$.
@anon: Also I'm for the 25$-50$ a pay period payroll deduction from each officer, if they want a take home vehicle assigned to them. It makes sense to pay into some of the cost of the vehicle especially if it balances the MDPD gas budget.
I also wish someone would examine GSA, they charge a arm and a leg for maintence for the vehicles. I could goto sears or jiffy lube and get a cheaper oil change.
Carlos Gimenez needs to listen to the taxpayers and close the take-home vehicle loophole immediately. If not, I will vote for his opponent.
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